1) Abortion is a significant public health issue that causes 70,000 maternal deaths annually, with 99% occurring in developing countries due to unsafe procedures. 2) There are several common myths around abortion practices and contraception, including that hormonal drugs can terminate pregnancy and contraception alone can eliminate abortion needs. 3) Restricting access to safe abortion due to societal stigma does not actually reduce the number of illegal abortions attempted and can cause confusion around legal abortion services.

1. INTRODUCTION
D
R
Dr Sushma Sharma

2. • Abortion is a significant public health issue and is an important
cause of maternal mortality in developing world
PROBLEM STATEMENT

3. PROBLEM STATEMENT
• 70,000 women die from complications of induced
abortion annually in the world
• 99% are due to unsafe procedures carried out in
developing countries.
• Preventing maternal deaths is an important Millennium
development goal

4. MYTHSABOUTABORTION
PRACTICES &
CONTRACEPTION

5. Myth : 1
•“Pregnancy if positive can be terminated
by hormonal withdrawal drugs”

6. Myth : 2
•“Contraception alone can eliminate the
need for abortion”
No contraceptive method is 100% effective to
prevent pregnancy

7. Myth : 3 Fear of society about doing an abortion
• Result : Restricting access to safe abortion
• Does not reduce the number of women
trying to terminate pregnancy illegally

8. Myth : 4
• PCPNDT and MTP acts are independent, however sex
selection and abortion are often incorrectly linked.
This leads to –
CONFUSION : among providers, women and health officials
on legality of abortions

9. • STIGMATIZATION : of providers, preventing eligible
providers from offering safe and legal abortion services
• RESULTS: restricted availability of and access to abortions,
particularly 2nd trimester.

10. Myth : 5
•OCPills lead to cancer
•Copper –T will cause weight gain, cancer,
injure the uterus, cause foreign body
feeling

11. Myth: 6
•Laparoscopic tubectomy has a higher
failure rate
•TL causes weight
gain
•Vasectomy causes
weakness in men

12. CHALLENGES WOMEN FACE

13. CHALLENGES WOMEN FACE
•Gender bias in access to
healthcare
•Remote areas
•Poor socioeconomic status
•Less resource allocation in remote health
setups
•Societal forces of patriarchy, hierarchy
and multigenerational families